The Love We Share
by KitoH
Summary: "I want to live for you as well, mi amor." As she looked down at Héctor, she didn't see a skeleton of the man she married. Suddenly, she saw the young boy she fell in love with all those years ago... (Rated T just in case (for future chapters)).


**Normally, I would be updating my ROTG fics. However, I have been suffering writers block, and thought that if I try writing from another fandom, it might get better.**

 **Don't worr** **y my ROTG readers, I'm writing some of the chapters in my spare time.**

 **In the meantime, enjoy!**

* * *

As Miguel disappeared in a flash of gold light, another gold light flashed.

Imelda looked down at her husband, feeling the moisture of her tears rolling down her face.

Héctor's bones shook with another golden rattle. His breathing was frantic, as he grabbed Imelda's hand.

"I..I can't..die..."

"You will see Coco, again." Imelda swore, squeezing his hand and mentally begging that she was right. "I swear."

The shaking of his bones subsided for a moment, as he grabbed her hand and whispered. "It's not just for Coco. I want to live for you as well, _mi amor_."

Imelda gasped as the repressed memories of their young love came rushing back. As she looked down at Héctor, she didn't see a skeleton of the man she married.

Suddenly, she saw the young boy she fell in love with all those years ago...

* * *

Imelda gripped her brothers' hands with grips of steel, afraid that if she slackened her grip slightly, she'd lose them, as well.  
Oscar and Felipe cried, begging Imelda to stop hurting their hands, begging her to take them home. They didn't want to follow this strange man, who was leading them to a strange building, which they knew was filled with strange children. They wanted their Mamá.

But when they noticed the tears dropping down their sister's face, they quietened.

They walked in a depressing silence, squeezing their sister's hands, as they walked toward the strange building, after the strange man, where the strange children lived.

"Where's Mamá?" Óscar asked, hesitantly.

"Why 'Melda sad?" Felipe elaborated.

The young boys were scared at their sister's uncharacteristic silence. Imelda was normally a lively young girl. However the stoic silence online worked to upset them even more.

Once they arrived in the yard of the building, the strange man turned and told them to wait there, before entering the decrypt building.

"Ow! Ay! Leave me alone!" The three children looked to see a bunch of older boys hitting a younger boy with sticks and stones. Imelda let go of her brothers' hands for the first time in the past two hours and stormed towards the boys.

"Did you not hear him!?" She shouted, quickly gaining the attention of the bullies. "He said to leave him alone!"

The boys scattered, leaving Imelda with the boy.

"Thank you very much, _Señorita_...?"

Imelda brushed down her dressed. "My name is Imelda."

"I am Héctor Rivera."

They began walking back to Imelda's twin brothers.

"Why were those boys hitting you?"

Grinning sheepishly, he pulled a piece of paper from his tattered sleeve, before handing it to Imelda. She opened it, and immediately recognised it.

"You write _música?"_

"I try to, but I don't think I'm any good. That's what those boys keep telling me, anyway."

"Don't listen to them! They're _idiotas_! This looks really good! I'd love to hear you play, sometime."

Héctor scratched the back of his neck, bashfully. "Really?"

"Of course!" Imelda exclaimed, smiling warmly at him. "I love music!"

They made it back to Óscar and Felipe, who grabbed Imelda's dress and hid behind it at the sight of yet another stranger.

"Hey!" Héctor said gently, kneeling so he was eye level with the young boys. "You don't need to be scared. My name is Héctor, what's yours?"

Óscar was the first to step forward. "I am Óscar." He turned to Imelda, as it silently asking if he did it right. His sister's small smile and approving nod made him beam.

Encouraged by his brother's success, the other two year old stepped forward. "My name is Felipe." He, too, looked to Imelda for approval, which she gave proudly.

"Why are you all here?" Héctor asked, looking at them one by one. "Kids don't normally come here unless they're gonna stay."

At this, Imelda burst into tears, and Héctor, who had still been on his knees, fell back in surprise.

The boy stood up and wrapped his arms around Imelda, who immediately melted in his touch. Her legs gave out and the only reason she didn't fall to the ground was because Héctor was supporting her. Óscar and Felipe, understandably, became upset. They hugged their sister, the way she did when they cried.

Héctor ignored this, in favour of patting Imelda's back and hushing her.

After another minute, Imelda regained her composure and stepped away from her fellow seven year old. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

Héctor shrugged it off, waving his hand dismissively. "No problem. You saved me from the bullies."

Imelda gasped, looking at where she had been leaning moments before, on his shoulder. Through the tears in his clothes, Imelda could see that he was badly bruised and it was even bleeding a little. She didn't spare a moment in ripping the helm of her velvet-like dress. She was careful, as she wrapped it around his shoulder.

Despite his complaints, she noticed Héctor visibly sigh in relief, as if some of his pain was being taken away.

"Thank you, _Señorita._ " He said, bowing slightly.

"Just Imelda." She told him.

"'Melda?" Héctor and Imelda both looked down at Óscar and Felipe who were pulling on their trousers or dress, respectively.

The man that had brought them here had just exited the building. An emotion Imelda couldn't identify flooded Héctor's face.

"You're going to be split up." He whispered.

"What?" Imelda immediately grabbed her brothers protectively. "What do you mean?"

"Over there.." Héctor pointed to a building behind Imelda. "Is where the girls sleep. Boys sleep there." He then pointed to a building behind himself. "The only time when the boys see the girls, is when we eat." Héctor pointed to the main building, the one where the man had just left.

"But, they can't be left them by themselves! What will happen?"

"They are put in a separate room with another boy, who has to look after them. Either voluntarily, otherwise, the boy is chosen at random."

Imelda grabbed his shirt, as desperately as a seven year old could be.

"Please. You have to look after them."

Despite being jolted around by her shaking, Héctor nodded calmly. "Do not worry, _Señori_ -I mean Imelda. I will take care of them." He then looked towards the man, who had almost reached them. "Tonight, wait outside the main building. I will take you to see them. No one patrols at night." He whispered, determined.

Imelda nodded, and let go. Héctor melted into the shadows.

As Imelda and her brothers were lead inside, she turned, and saw Héctor giving her a reassuring smile, from his hiding space in the shade in the trees.

Imelda couldn't help but smile, too.

They'll be safe.


End file.
